The Price of Honor a HtLj tale by Rielle and Jael
by Gabrielle Baer
Summary: Iolaus and the 'no-win scenario'. Wherein the Golden Hunter faces two less than possible choices.
1. Chapter 1

The Price of Honor an Alternative Hercules: The Legendary Journeys  
tale by Rielle and Jael. After Reunions, & Stronger than Death" story  
arc by the bard Jael

Description: This story is about "Iolaus and the no-win scenario",  
but in a very light hearted fashion. And in fact it began in response  
both to that concept and to the idea that an interesting and engaging  
story might be told where no one, including our Golden Hero is  
seriously damaged either physically or emotionally. Please send  
praise as lavishly as you like and leave your complaints with Joxer  
at the door, who appears herein, albeit, briefly.

Disclaimers: Hercules, Iolaus, Alcmene, Niobe, Jason, Iphicles,  
Gabrielle and Xena as well as a few other supporting characters  
appearing herein are solely the property of Pacific Renaissance  
Pictures and MCA Universal. There is no intent in this work of  
fiction to infringe on their copyrights in any way.Jael, queen of  
Corinth, is the fictional creation and sole property of her creatrix,  
the bard eponymously named Jael, and appears in this work of fiction  
with the express and very kind permission of that author.

For more on Jael, look for stories in an arc titled "Iphicles and the  
Shulammite Woman". If this work of fiction were a film, its rating  
would most likely be NC-13 or possibly NC-17. Adult situations and  
dialogue are used herein some of which may suggest consensual  
intimate relationships between characters of opposite genders, and of  
the same gender. Those persons who may find such situation's  
offensive, and those under the age of 18, please read no further.

Lastly, no toddler age heiresses of any kingdoms were harmed in the  
production of this work of fiction.

**Part 1**  
Iolaus didn't know whether to cry or laugh. One look at Jason's face  
told him neither was a good option and the latter was by far the  
worse. Smothering his first reaction with one hand, the hunter turned  
away for an instant and then turned back to his friend again.  
"So, you fell off the roof?" he asked, working hard to look concerned  
and sympathetic while a laugh nearly choked him. "Which roof? Where?"

Jason's face held not even a hint of amusement. "The roof over the  
far end of the courtyard. It started to rain and those tiles are  
slippery as fishtails when they're wet. I just wanted to get the  
repair work done. Someone called and I wasn't paying attention and  
I. . . fell."

"So your leg's broken? How badly?" Iolaus bent down to examine the  
wood and leather splint that held Jason's left leg immobile.  
"Badly enough to be a blasted bother." The former monarch  
replied, "Not badly enough to hurt."  
"Not that you'd admit it hurt worse than Tartarus, if it did." The  
hunter muttered, grinning to himself.

"I heard that." Jason grumbled. "Its my leg that's broken, Iolaus,  
not my ear!"

"Are you sure its not your sense of humor?" a musical voice asked  
from the threshold and both men turned their gazes. There they saw a  
woman elegantly robed, smiling at them. Her golden brown eyes were  
alight, her long sandy hair bound up with ribbons that matched her  
deep blue gown. Her arms reached out to embrace both men as she  
entered the room, laughing.

"Jael!" Iolaus and Jason called out the name of the queen of Corinth.

"Her very self!" a deeper voice answered and Jael's king and consort,  
Iphicles walked in behind his wife. "She insisted on coming to fuss over

you. I simply tagged along because I wasn't able to believe the report

I got. Jason, you fell off the roof?"

"Why does everybody ask me that?" Jason complained. "Yes, I fell off  
the roof. Yes, I broke my leg. No, I don't need anyone fussing! Does  
that answer all your questions?"

"No. Actually, I have one more." Jael responded as she hugged her  
father by law. "Just how far back were you stepping to admire your  
repair work when this happened? Even kings can't walk on air, last

I heard."

Jason shook his head and laughed at himself with Jael. "No, not that  
I know of, either. But I'll survive. I've had a few wounds and  
sprains and such in my life before now."

"Haven't we all?" Jael agreed. "Well, I've brought, or maybe I should  
say, I'm returning something Hercules brought me sometime back;  
something that might prove useful. Of course, I had it reworked for  
your use." She nodded to Iphicles, who turned around and called to  
someone waiting outside. Within moments, two guards carrying in a  
very large, very bulky item covered in a rough-woven cloth.

"Jael, what . . ."Iolaus started to ask and then fell silent as she  
wordlessly requested. "Until I was well again, Jason, this was a  
wonderful help to me. I think Hercules will approve my returning the  
favor." Jael said and pulled the rough covering off. Next to her  
stood a wheeled chair that Daedalus had first made for Jael, at  
Hercules' request. Fortunately, she no longer needed the device to  
get around. Her own two legs now sufficed very well, when a queenly  
carriage was not available. However, the second queen of Corinth  
never forgot her brother by law's aid and comfort.

"Speaking of Hercules, when will he be home again?"

"I'm not sure." Iolaus responded, shrugging. "Herc said he was needed  
to help Hades with something. I told him, if it was all the same, I'd  
stay away from Tartarus, or Ellysia, for the time being."

"Jael," Jason grinned, as he turned around and around on the wheeled  
chair. "This is great. I really. . . I'd forgotten all about this.  
Thank you."

"Well, you should thank her. My idea was to have a team of men and  
another team of horses come down here and drag you up to the palace  
so she could look after you there." Iphicles interjected. "My queen  
would have none of that. She said just because someone's injured  
doesn't mean they need a palace full of people hovering and gawking  
and whispering behind every drapery in the place."

"Yes I did." Jael agreed. "I said most people heal better in their  
own homes, not where they can't find anything and have to ask someone  
every time they turn around. They do sometimes need someone to come  
over and ask, 'How are you getting on?' So, Jason, how are you  
getting on?"

"Not too badly, really, Jael, thanks so much. It will be much better,  
now. You know how I hate being stuck anywhere. Did Daedalus come down  
from his workshop to rebuild that for me? I should thank him, too."

"He sent one of his apprentices. A really talented young woman." Jael  
shook her head. "Her name's Sofia. She's got quite a head on her  
shoulders." Laughing, the queen went on, "I saw that look, Iolaus.  
She's going home today."

Everyone in the room laughed at that remark, even the hunter, whose  
color rose slightly.

"Look? What look?" he asked, failing completely to look more innocent  
than interested. Jael shook her head at the man she knew so well.

"Oh Lord, God of my people, Maker of all Creation," she began to say  
in a reverent tone. "I thank Thee heartily for creating one man who  
never changes." Then she embraced Iolaus warmly to make up for the  
jest and turned back to Jason.

"You know, there are very few women who can scorn me that way and  
make me like it." Iolaus grinned.

"Did he say very few?" Jael asked Jason and the others. When they all  
nodded, she turned back to the hunter. "You did say very few women?"

"Uh huh." Iolaus nodded, "Very few."

Suspiciously, the queen studied his ruddy features, fair hair and  
clear blue eyes. "And your name would be . . .?" she asked him,  
grinning.

"You know, Jael, for someone who's come to visit a laid up relative,  
you seem in a particularly bright mood.

What's going on? You know you never could keep a secret." Iolaus  
asked, changing the subject with calm deliberation.

"Actually, its Iphicles who can't wait a moment longer to tell all  
of you our news. Go on, love, tell them."

Jason, Jason and Iolaus now all turned their gaze to the king of  
Corinth. Iphicles grinned and reached for his queen, who clearly  
enjoyed the chance to hasten into his arms. "It seems that. . . well  
to make a long story short . . . Andreos is finally going to get  
something he's been wanting." The king smiled even more broadly when  
he realized he'd only added to the general confusion. "Someone he's  
been wanting, I mean. A sibling. We're expecting!"

Iolaus cheered and pounded Iphicles joyously on the back in  
congratulations, nearly knocking the monarch on his face. Then he  
hugged Jael, and swung her around happily, clearly delighted, at  
which the queen was both glad and relieved.

Jason shouted gladly and almost forgot his injured leg, as he started  
to stand up. "Get over here, you two!" he ordered, sitting back  
again. His son by marriage, he clasped arms with, grinning so widely  
at becoming a grandfather again he felt his face might break. His  
daughter by law, though he took into a gentler embrace, knowing  
perfectly well how strong she was, and yet feeling a twinge of  
tenderness.

"My midwives seem to think I could be carrying twins. It's really a  
bit early to tell. We decided, unless there's some objection, that if  
the babies are girls, we want to name them Alcmene and Ilaia."  
Jael told Jason, watching his face as she invoked the name of his  
late wife and her long lost granddaughter. "If the babies are boys, we  
want to name them Aeson and Iolaus. "Again she paused, looking for any  
negative reaction to the suggestion. Seeing none, she went on: "Do we  
have your permission Iolaus, Jason?"

"Nothing would make Hercules happier, I'm sure." answered Jason,  
speaking for his absent stepson. "Or Alcmene and I prouder."

"Or me more honored." Iolaus told the parents to be forthrightly.

"Then it's decided." Iphicles pronounced. "Time for a party, then."

Jael nodded, smiling at her family, wondering when was the last time  
she'd seen them all so happily together.

"C'mon all you able bodies, get the goodies in here. You know women  
in my delicate condition aren't supposed to lift and carry! Besides,  
I'm getting more and more used to this royal business." She laughed  
as Iphicles and Iolaus rushed around at her command. "Yes, its good  
to be queen!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Part Two**  
The next few days continued chill and rainy, which kept Jason's  
practice with the wheeled chair confined to the house and covered  
portions of the courtyard. It also kept the former king restless and  
scowling as he surveyed the winter weather's effect on Alcmene's  
garden. It wasn't that he expected to see it at full bloom this time  
of year, anymore than he expected to see his beloved walk in the door  
with her arms full of flowers or herbs. He was simply sad to realize  
that he could not go out and do the weeding and pruning she would  
have been doing this time of year with his leg held at a right angle  
to his torso. He was still more downcast that he would never see  
Alcmene in her garden or anywhere except Ellysia, again.

"You miss her a lot, don't you?" Jael asked, handing her friend and  
father by marriage a steaming bowl full of soup to warm himself with

.Jason smiled, and turned his head. "I'm transparent to every woman  
who's ever lived here any length of time." He sighed. "Lucky for me;  
there haven't been that many. I miss her more than I knew I would.  
When she became ill, I moved her bed right next to that window. It  
was full summer and she could see her garden that way. I looked out  
the window just now, and saw two of her favorite plants blooming,  
despite the rain and cold. All they needed was one day's worth of  
sun. All I need right now is to hear her voice. That's just  
selfishness on my part, isn't it?"

"No, its just love. My people say: Memory of the righteous is  
Blessed." Jael answered, giving him a hug. "Now, drink up that soup,  
if you please."

"Better listen to her, my friend. She's quite the task mistress  
sometimes." Iolaus warned Jason walking in with the results of a  
sodden day's hunting, primarily a wet head and squeaking boots.

"Yes I am." Corinth's queen agreed. "You'd better have some of this  
soup, too, Iolaus, since you've brought nothing to cook for supper."

"Now there is where you're wrong, my dearest queen." The hunter  
protested, laughing. Going back to the door, he lifted and carried  
something in that proved to be a side of venison dressed and ready to  
roast. "I found this doe shot and left, as if for sport, on the  
roadside. There was no one anywhere in sight. I can't imagine who  
would hunt so carelessly, to no purpose." Iolaus explained grim  
faced. "So I asked the Huntress' blessing, did what remained to be  
done, and brought it home. I wasn't hungry enough to eat the whole  
deer, though. So I decided you could use some."

Now for the first time all day, Jason laughed aloud. "Thanks for  
leaving us so much, Iolaus."

"You know, I've always wondered where he puts all that food." Jael  
smiled. In a quieter tone, as she walked past the hunter, she  
agreed. "Yes, thank you, Iolaus. For bringing supper and for cheering  
him up."

"We live to serve, my queen." Iolaus' eyes danced at his long time  
friend and he bowed in exaggerated fashion.

"Oh? Good, then you can go ahead and start that meat roasting. I  
never go near the palace kitchen. Iphicles says Cook's wrath with  
intruders is deadly dangerous. Except for Andreos, of course. Did I  
tell you both what happened the other day at noon meal?"

Jason and Iolaus shook their heads no; so Jael continued: "We were  
just getting ready to start. Iphicles was getting a little impatient,  
because he had a meeting with his advisers. We were waiting for  
Andreos and finally he showed up, covered with flour and honey and  
grinning from ear to ear. 'Daddy!' he yelled. 'I'm baking a cake!'

I thought Iphicles was going to split, whether from laughing or  
irritation, I couldn't tell at first. Iphicles wiped some of the  
batter off Andreos' face and licked his fingers. Then he looked at

 him for a very long time, shook his head and said, very solemnly:

'But Andreos, we haven't put you in the oven yet!'  
Jael was grinning as widely as her four year old stepson now.

"And Iphicles got up, doing that wonderful Nemean lion roar he does,

and chased Andreos down the hall!

Two days later the sun was out again and everyone heaved a sigh of  
relief as Jason wheeled himself out into the courtyard, and began to  
practice getting around in Daedalus' invention. Turning the wheels  
was the easiest part since he had full use of his strong arms.  
Steering proved a bit harder, as he had to deal with the angles and  
turns of the house. As he got the knack of using the device, Jason  
laughed more than he had in weeks at each new accomplishment.

"Gods, Jael!" Jason called to her at one point. "Is this how great it  
felt to you when you could glide around the palace in this thing?  
It's almost like riding the tides into shore like Aphrodite does, or  
flying with Pegasus! I didn't know I felt so trapped in the house the  
past few weeks, until I got out here!"

"Well there are two schools of thought I heard about from Sofia.  
She's already built several of these chairs for old people and  
crippled children living near Daedalus' workplace. Some of those  
people feel very freed by the change, others still feel confined,

by limits on where the chairs can go. I had been crippled for so long  
when Hercules first brought that chair, that I hardly knew what to  
do, cry or laugh!"

Jason raised one big hand to her face and smiled. "Well, I owe you

a great deal for this, Jael." He said, patting the arm of the  
chair. "Now I'm going to try a couple more spins around the house.  
Wait, what's that commotion in the yard? C'mon, lets go see." A  
clanking, squawking, wailing noise reached them from outside the  
front of the house. Alcmene's geese were out of their pen and greatly  
disturbed by the fact. They were attacking something or someone  
loudly and angrily.

"Hello? Help! Oww! Hello, is anyone there? Hey, get off me! I need  
some help, here. Oww!" a nasal, high pitched voice called out. At one  
point, a man's head appeared, covered with what Jael supposed was  
intended to be a warrior's helmet, with a wide brim and remarkably  
pointed top. In the next moment, the geese had their victim down and  
shrieking again. He flailed at the birds, which only excited and  
distressed them more and couldn't seem to regain his footing.

"I think I'd better go down and drive them off whoever it is, before  
there's bloodshed." Jael looked at Jason, who was laughing so hard he  
looked ready to fall over.

"I think I know . . . who it is. You're right, Jael, you'd better go  
rescue him." The former king finally managed to say between gasps of  
mirth. "But I'll come with you, supposing this device will take to a  
plain garden path."

"I think it will. I found it worked fine on most surfaces, as long as  
there wasn't too much of a slope. But Jason, have you practiced  
stopping in it? Sometimes that's the hardest. . ."

" Help!" the newcomer was yelping now. "Oww! Get off me! Oww!"

"Be right there, Joxer." Jason set off towards the scene of battle,  
grinning from ear to ear. Jael stayed where she was, smiling and  
unworried, since she had seen her brother by law easily maneuvering  
all morning. Then she remembered something she hadn't thought of in a  
very long time. There was what most people would consider a gentle  
grade or slope running from the stone wall, through Alcmene's garden,  
and up to the house. No one would think anything of climbing it under  
normal conditions. But he was not under normal conditions.

If he hasn't tried stopping the chair, except by putting his healthy  
leg down, he could be in for quite a shock. Jael realized

"Jason! Be careful! Hills are harder to manage than level paths and  
there's that herm at the end of the path!" she called out. She  
remembered asking Alcmene years ago what the smallish, rough stone  
carving was that greeted every visitor.

"It's called a herm, in honor of Hermes, the god of messengers and

other travelers." Iphicles and Hercules' mother explained to her guest.

 "My first husband, Amphtyron set it up, when we built our home here.

At the time, I believe there was a custom in the larger cities to have

 water or wine always ready next to the herm, to refresh a visitor.

 We never followed that custom. My . . Amphtyron preferred to invite a

weary traveler to rest in the house or in the courtyard, depending

 on the weather."

Now Jael took off at a run, as she rarely did, either here in the  
countryside, or at her palace home. Still she could not catch up to  
Jason in the wheeled chair. She couldn't tell if Jason heard her  
warning or not. She couldn't decide whether it would be better to  
call out again, further distracting him, or stay silent, praying for  
good results. She decided on a third course of action, running  
wordlessly towards the offended geese. At least she could herd them  
back into their comfortable, comforting pen. Couldn't she?

Working with the birds, softly calling and gesturing to them, Jael began

 to get them filing back into their home. They were really beautiful, she  
thought, and the racket they made when disturbed was certainly a  
distinct announcement to the house of any strangers' approach. When  
Jael turned, to look for any remaining geese, she saw the stranger  
who had somehow freed them sprawled face down on the ground. Turning  
further, she saw Jason wheeling down the graded path with a look on  
his face she had never seen there before, absolute surprise.

"Jael!" he called out, flying down the hill, into the herm and out of  
the chair in the space of a few moments. "How do you stop this thing?"

Fortunately for everyone involved, both Jason and the wheeled chair  
landed softly on opposite sides of the path. "Jason," she cried out to  
him, reaching down to touch his head. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Jael. Just fine." Jason smiled sitting up and gingerly  
touching a bump on his forehead. "But did anyone see who was driving  
that cart?"

"Cart? Oh, uh no, I'm afraid it got clear away. Maybe the geese  
scared their horses." Jael laughed back.

"Maybe so, and I know what scared the geese! Joxer, get up and get  
over here!" Jason ordered, winking at Jael to show he wasn't going to  
beat the smaller man. The man he addressed as Joxer scrambled to his  
feet and nearly fell over them again, in his rush to reach Jason's  
side.

"Jason! I'm sorry to bust into your home like this! I wanted to be  
sure no one was following me. I'm here on a mission. There's a lot of  
trouble going on up in Thrace. Most likely a war's going to start any  
day now between some warlords disputing territories, stealing cattle,  
raiding towns, you know, the usual. But someone's trying to blow this  
up into a big deal and we think it could be . . ."the speaker dropped  
his voice conspiratorially before going on ". . .Ares. So we need  
your help. Uh, Jason, what happened to you?"

"Joxer, bring that wheeled chair over here, steady it while I climb  
back on and maybe, just maybe I'll explain the whole thing to you  
without wiping that expression off your face. And Joxer, after you do  
that, turn around and pay proper respect to your betters. This lovely  
and generous lady is Jael, Queen of Corinth."

The young man Jason called Joxer whirled like a child's toy, but did  
as he was asked. First, he brought the chair and held it still while  
Jason returned to a sitting position. Then he turned to Jael, whipped  
off his helmet and bowed as prettily as any courtier she'd ever seen.

"Your majesty! We haven't met. I'm Joxer the Mighty!"

"Mighty what?" Jason demanded, scornfully.

"Well, he's a warrior, Jason. Can't you see that?" Jael shook her  
head, knowing how compassionate he normally was.

"Your majesty obviously knows a real fighting man when you see one."  
Joxer blustered. "If it weren't for the terribly important mission  
I'm now on, I would be absolutely at your service. But, where's  
Hercules? I was supposed to . . . That is, I really need to discuss  
this with him."

"Hercules is on a mission of his own, Joxer." Jason answered. "I  
don't know when he'll be home. Hades sent for him. Apparently his  
help is needed in the Underworld. Maybe Achilles and Hector are at  
it, again!"

"You said there's a war starting in Thrace? Did you march all the way  
from there?" Jael asked kindly, taking Joxer's arm. "You must be road  
weary and starving! Will you give Jason some help getting back to the  
house and we can talk about the aid you need. I'm sure King Iphicles  
and Iolaus both will want to know about the problem."

They spent the afternoon talking about a great many things. They were  
waiting for the outriders Jael sent from her escort to bring Iphicles  
from his meetings, and Iolaus from the farther end of the homestead.  
Jael asked her spouse to bring young Andreos to the house to see his  
uncle Jason and meet the young stranger.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part Three **

By the time the sun was setting, Iolaus, Iphicles and Andreos arrived

at the home they all still thought of as Alcmene's. Andreos had what

Iphicles described as "both his mothers' charm" and quickly had Joxer

 as firmly under his thumb as he did every other adult he met.

The child was even allowed the privilege of placing the helmet Joxer

obviously cherished on his own small head. Andreos all but vanished

within its confines, wide brown eyes like his father's, soft, dark hair

like his mother's, forehead, ears and chin, and all, making everyone

laugh.

"Joxer, I realize you memorized the message Xena asked you to bring.  
But do you have any other information on the trouble in Thrace?"  
Jason asked. "Which warlords are involved? Who started the wrangle?  
Why does she think it's going to get out of hand?"

"Well the armies involved belong to Yannis, Panayotis, and Kyrillos.  
I was told . . . that is, my spies told me they started out allies,  
trying to take over most of southern Thrace in the past year or so.  
The local towns and villages don't have as good defenses as they once  
did, partly because these three worked together to take down the  
outposts and forts. Then it was almost too easy for them to take the  
towns and carry off whatever they wanted. They got pretty rich doing  
that, too. But the word is one of them went after the other's  
mistress, excuse me, lady, maybe even his wife, and they began to  
quarrel."

"And the third no doubt began to rob them blind while they weren't  
looking?" Iolaus suggested.

"Yeah, he did. Hey! How'd you know that?" Joxer demanded, staring at  
the hunter.

"He knows the type a little too well, that's all, Joxer." Jason  
grinned. "And was this all the information . . your spies had?"

"Yeah, I mean, no. The latest word is that the money they were  
spending on slaves and fortresses and such, these three are all  
spending on weapons, now. The very latest news was that they're going  
to burn all of Thrace out if they have to, just to kill each other."

"And they'll kill anyone who gets in their way, no doubt." Jason  
added, hotly. "I don't know the other two, but Kyrillos is just the  
type."

"Yannis is no better." Iolaus told his companions. "He started out as  
bandit. He's just a bandit in a bigger way, now."

"Panayotis refused to come to a leaders conference two years ago.  
Instead he sent a messenger with nothing but insults for those who  
were involved." Iphicles offered. "Apparently the man lives to stir  
up trouble."

"Jason, that last news was days ago, they could have started fighting  
already And a three sided war is just that much harder to stop."  
Jason complained. "Its especially hard since I'm stuck here!"

Jael watched, and listened, and made sure everyone ate well of the  
supper she prepared. She loved nothing better than to take care of  
this cobbled together family of hers, and they usually enjoyed it,  
too. Tonight, the men around her didn't seem to take note of it, one  
way or another. They were far too intent on their talk of a possible  
war in far off Thrace. In fact, she realized, they were excited by  
the idea.

Iphicles was bouncing Andreos on one knee, while he talked about traveling

through that northern countryside, years before. Jason was describing to Joxer,

who was plainly awed by tales from an Argonaut, several campaigns he'd waged

 involving long distances and great armies. Then Iolaus and the others began doing

something with a piece of parchment that Jael could not understand at first,

until she recognized it as a half drawn map.

"Yes, of course, that's why it can be so hard to attack with the  
right defenses." Iolaus was saying. "And so easy to invade without  
them. The isthmus has water on both sides, and depending on the time  
of year is underwater. That makes it harder on an army in winter, of  
course, like now. But the coastline comes up right along here a  
little farther north. The water there is deep enough that they could  
have built a port. Both Potadeia and Amphipolis are roughly speaking  
in that region, Jason. No wonder Xena and Gabrielle called for our  
help, they'll need it defending that much territory."

"Well, I'm out of it, this time, my friends." Jason frowned,  
gesturing at his leg. "I hate it when that happens!"

"Did it happen much before you took to roof climbing?" Iolaus teased  
his long time friend. "Or is this a recent phenomenon?"

All the men laughed, and so did little Andreos, who had been  
migrating from one lap to another throughout the meal and now sat  
with Jael.

The queen hugged her stepson and carried him to the room Jason and  
Alcmene always kept ready for his visits. He was nodding off as he  
always did after a meal. Besides, she didn't want the child to hear  
what she wanted to say to his father and the others.

When Jael returned to the main room, she heard Jason addressing the  
others the way she had heard some of Iphicles' generals address their  
troops:

"Well that leaves it up to you." he said "Normally I would say take  
enough of a force with you to be secure, and no more than you need to  
not be a target. But that was Cheiron's teaching, so you all know  
that. The important thing is to travel light and swift. How soon do  
you think you can be ready? We can't let Ares have his way in Thrace.  
It would give him all the wrong ideas."

Another laugh went around the table, but Jael could see they all  
agreed. There was not the smallest iota of dissent among them. They  
looked as excited as inexperienced village boys being recruited by some  
warlord. They smiled and laughed while discussing strategies and  
plans for mayhem, bloodshed and killing.

"What is the matter with all of you?" Jael demanded. "You make this  
sound as if you're planning a fishing trip!"

For a moment stunned silence answered her. Then all the men spoke at  
once, and fell silent again. All of them had reason to respect her,  
even Joxer, who found the queen's courtesy towards him bewildering  
and warming. All of them had learned, mostly from women like Alcmene,  
Rena, and Jael to take the ideas of women as seriously as they took  
their feelings. Iphicles looked ready to answer, but exchanged looks  
with his predecessor and deferred. Broken leg or no, it was still  
clear who'd taken charge.

"Jael, we have to plan carefully, if we're up against three warlords  
and Ares. But don't worry, Iphicles isn't going anywhere." Jason told  
her.

"Wait a minute. I didn't agree to that." Corinth's ruler protested.

"Not tonight, but you agreed to it a long time ago, Iphicles." Jason  
interjected. "You said you would never again leave your wife to go  
on a foreign campaign. Pardon me for bringing all that up again, but  
its true."

Jael hurried to her spouse and embraced him, seeing his old pain and  
self recrimination rise like ghosts.

"My love, I don't want to be an undue problem to you." she  
whispered. "The plain truth is, I don't want you to go to war  
anywhere, much less half way across Greece. Will you forgive a  
pregnant woman her fears and foibles?"

"My queen, I would forgive you anything." He whispered back. Aloud he  
said in as quiet a tone. "Jason, you're right. Not that I like  
admitting that. Jael's health and her peace of mind are far more my  
responsibilities now than 3 petty warlords' latest squabble. And Ares  
knows better than to come to Corinth, I believe, when both Hercules  
and myself are in residence. Which we have been lately."

"He'll never risk it." Jason agreed. "It could ruin his reputation."

At that, everyone laughed and the tension in the room waned. Jael  
brought her family and their guest fresh bread and carefully watered  
wine. She wanted no carousing that would waken and delight a certain  
princeling, and keep him up the rest of the night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part Four ** 

Five days later Iolaus, and Demetra, second in command of Corinth's  
troops, and the small force they had gathered from veterans and  
regular troops around Corinth were ready to leave. Iphicles persuaded  
Jason to stay at the palace, for the time being and now Jael agreed.  
Her reason, she insisted, was little Andreos' pleading for more time  
with his grandfather and the 'willychair.' Once again, Jason left  
Alcmene's and his home, closed the shutters and covered the plants,  
wondering when he'd return.

"She's not in there, you know." Jael said, tapping the closed  
door. "She's in here." tapping his broad chest.

"Are you reading my mind, Jael?" Jason tried to smile at her, but the  
sadness did not leave his eyes.

"No, I wasn't. I was reading your face, Jason. You and my king have  
that very much in common, you know, open, honest faces."

"Honest?" Jason laughed softly. "So I guess he never told you about  
the time he tried to impress everyone in Rena's hometown, including  
Rena, by claiming to be Hercules! He told them all how **he** killed the  
Nemean lion and destroyed the Hydra. I hear he and Hercules had  
quite a talk when his younger brother found out."

Jael laughed back, "No, Jason. You heard the story all wrong." she  
shook her head, "He said Hercules was always trying to impress women  
by claiming to be Iphicles, King of Corinth!"

"Did he?" Jason shook his head. "You know you're very good for my  
stepson, Jael. "He continued.

"Am I? Why is that?" she demanded, smiling.

"Well, first of all, if you weren't so fond of Iphicles and I wasn't  
so fond of you; I might have to take back my kingship for tales like  
that!"

"Please, spare the father of my unborn babes, oh mighty Jason!" Jael  
teased him, gesturing dramatically. "And while you're doing that, go  
on flattering me with the reasons I'm so good for Iphicles."

"Well, you don't let him brood as much as he used to do. You get him  
to laugh, even at himself, sometimes. You keep him from feeling  
second best to anyone. You encourage him. But you don't take any  
foolishness from him. When I see him looking at you, Jael; I see  
myself looking at Alcmene. He just lights up inside. All you have to  
do is come into a room and his mood lightens, no matter what is going  
on. And with this pregnancy, honestly, I don't know which of you is  
glowing more!"

"We are having a glowing contest." Jael agreed. "The winner gets  
supper in bed for a month. But I told him, if I win, I don't want my  
prize until a few months after these two are born. I'm going to be  
stuck in bed enough, if he has his way!"

"Why should you be stuck in bed? You're as healthy now as any woman  
in Corinth."

"And I'm wed to a king who lost his first queen when she miscarried  
of their second child. My poor love, he wanted that little girl so  
badly. He hopes so much for me to be carrying twin girls. If I didn't  
know better I'd say he thinks one would make up for the other."

"Jael, do you know that you're having twins?" Jason asked quietly,  
not wishing to pry. "The other day you said it was too early to tell.  
Oh. . ."he said, remembering that the queen had certain gifts of the  
mind that could reveal a great many things, when she sought the  
knowledge.

"Yes, I do. But I didn't let myself look further. They are so very  
tiny, so helpless. I'd rather be in that chair again than take any  
risk with them. I know they're healthy, despite being twice as  
vulnerable as a single babe in the womb. That's enough for now, don't  
you think?"

"More than enough." Jason answered, and found himself echoed by  
Iphicles as the king of Corinth walked up the path.

"We've both sworn to be as cautious as humanly possible with these  
two tiny ones, and with the health of their mother." Iphicles hugged  
his wife from behind her back and patted her not very pregnant  
looking stomach. "If that means we won't know whether they're boys or  
girls or griffins until they're born, well, so be it. Of course that  
may drive me mad with curiosity." He grinned.

"Just as it has waiting parents for a very, very long time." Jason  
smiled back. "Now, lets get the four of you back to that nice, comfy  
palace of yours . You have done something about the drafts in the  
main hall by now, haven't you?"

"No, I'm waiting for your leg to heal so I can set you to work  
hanging more draperies and sealing the chinks in the walls. That way  
we can feast there without feeling like fancy dressed icicles!"

"He hates feasts, you know." Jael commented. "He'll use any excuse to  
put them off for another time, or ask another king to hold them. He's  
really very shy, and dislikes most state occasions intensely."

"Yeah, he hated parties when we were younger, too." Jason smiled,  
enjoying Jael's grin and Iphicles glower equally. "He didn't play  
well with other children. Andreos has changed that, Jael, and so have  
you."

"You keep flattering my queen, Jason. You're always laughing and  
smiling when the two of you are together." Iphicles noted  
facetiously. "Should I find out if she has a sister back in  
Ephesus?" Jael laughed out loud and hugged her husband warmly.

"Oh don't look so alarmed, Jason! If I did have a sister in Ephesus,  
which I don't, she'd be at least as shy among strangers as I was when  
we first met. No offense meant."

"None taken, Jael. Iphicles has been lucky twice now. And so was I,  
very lucky, twice. I have no need to challenge the Fates by trying  
for three."


	5. Chapter 5

**Part Five **

They made good time returning to the palace, a ramshackle fortress on  
which the royal apartments were the latest addition. Instead of a  
small armed force in full readiness for a march into Thrace, Jason,  
Jael and Iphicles found all in confusion. Some wagons and supplies  
were loaded, others stood empty, surrounded by barrels and crates.  
Some men drifted around the agreed on field of muster, others seemed  
to be holding to loose formations, waiting word to start out. Some  
wore their battle gear, others had piled it on the ground, while they  
waited.

"Theantes, what goes on here?" the monarch demanded, jumping down  
from the carriage. "Why aren't these men already on the road? Where  
are Demetra and Iolaus?" The soldier he spoke to jumped to attention  
and saluted Iphicles before answering.

"Your majesty, no one seems to know what happened. We were ready to  
leave and the order came to wait here. Demetra is talking to almost  
all the troop leaders. Iolaus is speaking to a messenger who came in,  
I don't know from where, a short time ago. In fact, the messenger  
came just when we were about to leave."

Jason looked over to where the soldier last pointed, and saw Iolaus  
talking excitedly with another young man. The latter was no one Jason  
recognized; and he couldn't see Iolaus' face. The hunter was  
gesturing and pacing, so that even from a distance it seemed he  
didn't like what he heard.

What's wrong, Iolaus? Jason wondered, knowing at this range his friend

would not hear him unless he shouted. Jason waited as Jael stepped out

of the carriage. With less patience he waited again as she sent one of

the young men in her entourage to help him out and down into the wheeled

 chair again. Maneuvering the path around the mustering field took more time

than he liked, as well. Everything seemed to slow him down. Impatient for  
answers, Jason called out when he and his two royal companions were  
within Iolaus' earshot.  
"Iolaus, what's going on? Why did you stop the march?" The hunter  
turned around, smiling and waving his friends over.

"Wait." Jason heard him say to the messenger. "No, never mind that.  
You're worn out and hungry, no doubt, after riding so far. Give your  
horse to that fellow by the corral, there. Then go to the kitchen  
inside and get something to eat. Go on." The young man, dusty, and  
weary from the road, nodded and walked away with his horse. Both were  
muddy legged and Jason noticed a royal symbol that was vaguely  
familiar on a badge the youth wore. He couldn't place it, but no  
sooner had the messenger passed them then Iphicles did.

"That badge is one from Attica, isn't it, Iolaus? Your cousin's widow  
is Regent for Orestes' heir, isn't she?" the king of Corinth asked.

"Queen Niobe." Iolaus agreed. "She's Regent for their daughter,  
Princess Timora. The child is very ill, it seems. That's the message.  
The queen wants me to come to Attica as fast as I can."

"Niobe's daughter." Jason reiterated, with a quick glance at his  
friend's face. "How old is she, Iolaus? The baby, I mean."

"She's not even three years old, yet. Her birthday's next month, I  
think. Orestes never even saw her. Poor kid."

"That's what I thought I remembered." Jason did a quick mental count,  
then looked sharply back at Iolaus. As Jason watched, the hunter's  
blue eyes widened, his jaw dropped and his shoulders sagged as if a  
boar's carcass was just laid across them.

"Iolaus, what is it?" Jael demanded to know. "Please, tell us what's  
wrong?" Iolaus turned around and looked at Jael as if he'd forgotten  
she and Iphicles stood there waiting, almost as if he'd forgotten  
they existed. For just an instant, Jason thought his friend was going  
to cover up or somehow avoid the subject. Iolaus seemed to be seeking  
a direction to escape in, as he had so often done when they were both  
young. Only this time there was no place to go. He'd halted  
preparations for a war, however large or small, to listen to a  
messenger from a kingdom almost as far away as Thrace. Iolaus looked  
as uncomfortable as Jason could ever remember seeing him, while  
unhurt and on his feet. Jael bit her lip to suppress a smirk.

"This must be pretty serious." She guessed. "I've never seen him  
speechless."

"We also serve who only stand and gape." Iolaus retorted. "I was just  
thinking about everything that needs to be done before I can leave  
for Attica.""

What do you mean, leave?" Iphicles demanded. "If you go to Attica,  
who will go with Demetra on the campaign?"

"Uh, those guys over there, maybe?" he gestured towards the  
marshaling troops. "I'm just one more sword arm.

""You are certainly not just another soldier, Iolaus." Demetra  
contradicted, coming up to the small group. "You're my strong right  
arm, and the troop's morale depends on you. So what's this about  
going to Attica? What's in Attica?" She was as tall as Iphicles, with  
auburn hair tightly braided and bound to accommodate a warriors helm  
when the need arose. Her eyes, as befitted a woman warrior were clear  
grey as Athena's, and right now they were sparking fire.

"My cousin's widow is Regent there for . . .their daughter. She's  
often turned to me for help and advice. She's called on me again,  
now, urgently."

"But that is Attica, Iolaus." Iphicles frowned at the hunter.

 "Whatever is happening there is not the business of Corinth.  
We've pledged the forces of Corinth to prevent a war. That is the  
business of Corinth, now, urgently. And you are part of that pledge."

"Whether I like it or not?" Iolaus challenged him, quietly.

"Of course, whether you like it or not." Iphicles replied. "This is a  
military action, not a ball! Besides which, as of last night you  
liked it just fine. Let Attica take care of Attica, Iolaus, we have  
work to do."

Iolaus glowered at the king. He looked ready to spit a retort in the  
older man's face. Jason exchanged a look with Jael who nodded quick  
agreement.

"Okay," the former ruler said to his long time friend, "I think some  
more thought needs to be given to all this before anyone goes  
anywhere." He put one long arm around the hunter's waist and turned  
him away from the monarch. "Besides, I'm hungry. C'mon, Iolaus, this  
is your big chance to push me around."

"And you promised me you'd look at my ideas for the new nursery, my  
king." Jael reminded her spouse of the matter that made him happiest  
these days. Iphicles looked from his queen to his stepfather and  
sighed, almost in unison with Iolaus. Then both men laughed heartily.

"I think we're outnumbered, Iolaus. I'm hungry too. Hardly  
surprising, I'm eating for three these days." Iphicles grinned.

"On you, it looks good." Iolaus laughed and moved as quickly as  
possible out of the monarch's reach, while pushing Jason in the  
wheeled chair towards the palace. Demetra ordered the assembled  
troops to stand down from march formation, rest and prepare to leave  
the next morning. Her officers she dismissed to take advantage of  
another day and night in Corinth. Then she went to the palace ahead  
of the others, anxious to spend the extra time with her own small  
son.


	6. Chapter 6

**Part Six**

Jael took her spouse off to examine the nursery plan before dinner was set out. As it happened, they did not reappear for the rest of the afternoon.

Jason turned his attention to his anxious friend. Iolaus helped Jason settle into rooms Jael had long since vacated on the ground floor of the palace. Smooth floors and low ramps made maneuvering the wheeled chair more like gliding than rolling, just as the builders intended. When an attendant asked, both men agreed that they might as well have their meal brought into the rooms. Iolaus had become notably quiet and only gave an appreciative nod when Jason looked his  
way.

"Alright, Iolaus. I can count as well as you, and so can the others. That little girl in Attica, is she Orestes' daughter, or is she yours?"

" I . . . the truth is, I don't know." the hunter admitted. "I've  
been assuming for, well, for nearly three years that she is my  
cousin's child. After all, he and Niobe were married, and as far as

I knew they didn't hate each other."

"But you never asked Niobe?" the former king wondered out loud. "You  
never considered the possibility?"

"I thought it best to leave it at that. Even if I believed she was my  
daughter; if I made any claim, it would publicly disgrace her and her  
mother I couldn't do that."

"And now?" Jason asked his friend, deliberately keeping a calm tone.

"Now she's seriously ill. She may be dying, the messenger said.  
Nobody seems to know why. Nobody has any idea how to help her."  
Iolaus shook his head, in bewilderment. "Jason, I've never laid eyes  
on her. Niobe sent this little picture, but it doesn't really  
show . . ."Iolaus held out a pendant shaped to hold a tiny painting  
and handed it to his friend. It showed a small, serious face with  
ringlets in the current fashion around a perfect little profile.

It was too perfect to be a living child's mobile, expressive face.

It was an ideal, not a person.

"Her name's Timora." Iolaus told his companion, with a smile full of  
ironic humor. "'Honor.' Even if I see her now, I can't acknowledge  
her as my child. I can't dishonor a little girl who's supposed to  
grow up to be ruler of Attica that way. . . . Can I? Iphicles is  
right, my honor is involved here, too. I gave my oath, first to you,  
then to him as king. I owe Corinth loyalty." The hunter put one hand  
across his face like a mask partially worn and shook his head. "It's  
been my home for a long time."

"Do you have any idea which way you would choose to go if it were  
only up to you?" Jason asked his friend. "Right now, not a clue. I  
did send a messenger bird to Attica asking what the child's illness  
is. Maybe there's something I can think of to help her that way."

"Iolaus, most children get sick a lot." Jason said, "If they have  
decent food and a warm, dry place to live, they get better. This  
little princess has all that on her side. Children like that get well  
and strong again and grow up just fine. Usually." Jason turned away  
from his friend, caught up in the pain of memories that never quite  
left him.

"Jason!" Iolaus exclaimed, his eyes widening. "You don't think the  
gods would target Niobe's daughter because of me, do you?"

"No, Iolaus, no of course not." Jason reassured his friend. "Don't  
look for troubles where there aren't any."

"No, of course not." Iolaus agreed. "The Olympians aren't going to go  
to that much trouble. Gods! I forgot all about breakfast. I'm  
starving! What dya want?"

"Whatever you're kind enough to leave on the table, I guess." Jason  
laughed as the hunter piled fresh bread on the rim of a bowl of soup  
on one side of a platter of meat. "The food's not running away,  
Iolaus. Sometimes I think Alcmene was right, she was always saying  
you're as hollow legged as a bird, and just as hard to slow down!"

"Old habits are hardest to break, my friend." Iolaus replied when  
he'd swallowed enough soup to clear his mouth for speaking again. "I  
grew up hard, you know that. But it was by my own choice. That's just  
one more reason I can't ride into Attica and declare their heiress is  
my daughter, not Orestes'. I can't take that good, safe, comfortable  
life away from her. I can't make that choice for her."

"Then what you want to do tomorrow morning is . . .?" Jason asked,  
making his own defensible fortress of edibles to work through.

"Magically split into two of me: sending one to Thrace with Demetra  
as I promised and the other to Attica to meet a little girl who might  
be my daughter and might be dying. Got any idea how I can do that?"  
"No, and I'm not sure I'd want to find out." Jason grinned. "Two of  
you? Iolaus, I don't think the world could stand it!"

"No, probably not." Iolaus agreed. "I remember what a mess there was  
when the Sovereign was here for less than a day! He took that  
marketplace apart as if it were made of kindling! Gods! That was a  
great fight he and Hercules had, though!"

"Oh it was great, I'm sure, if you weren't the one getting kicked  
across the square!" Jason responded. "

"Actually, from what Hercules said, seeing another one of myself  
around would make my skin crawl; especially if he looked like my twin  
and acted like a cranky, bad mannered five year old. Yeah, that's  
scary."

"Yeah, about as scary as finding out you likely have a daughter, and  
in the next instant that she may not live long enough for you to  
meet!" Iolaus finally exploded, as Jason expected him to do, pounding  
a fist on the table and grimacing in reaction. "Damn Niobe! She's the  
only one who could know the truth of it. Maybe she isn't sure either;  
but she never sent me so much as a word! "

"Iolaus, stop and consider. You know you can't ride into Attica and  
lay claim to the king's heir. How much less can their queen dowager  
send a message that could be read by the gods know how many curious  
folk on the way here, saying: 'How are you doing these days, Iolaus?  
Oh, by the way, we have a daughter. Her name is Timora and I'm  
passing her off as your cousin's child.' "Jason reasoned.

"I understand that" Iolaus answered, pointing sharply to his  
forehead. "in here." He sighed and shook his head, pointing to his  
chest. "I have a harder time understanding it here. So, here I stand,  
trying to understand the situation; and in Attica there's a little  
girl who may be my child, dying."

Jason looked at his friend and saw in the hunter's vivid blue eyes  
the reality of his own lost children. His only comfort for a long  
time now was that the little ones he'd carried in his arms and on his  
back were safe and happy in Ellysia, with no awareness of pain or  
grief or separation. He had to find a way to help his friend, spare  
his friend the loss, if he could.

"Maybe we can find the answer for that part of the problem, Iolaus.  
Maybe you can take a healer from Corinth or some remedy that might  
help. When you were a child, do you recall getting sick much? Do you  
remember your parents talking about any fever or illness you had?"

"No, not really. But then Skouros was hardly home and not in a very  
talkative mood when he was. He laughed if I ate too much and got sick  
from it. Then he'd start railing about how real men learned to live  
on soldiers' rations or what they could salvage from burned out towns  
or . . . whatever. My mother, well, she was pretty quiet when he was  
home. She knew the least thing would set him off! " Iolaus growled at  
the memory and then shrugged. "I guess I come by my temper honestly  
enough."

"And were you ever sick?" Jason encouraged him.

"I'm not sure I remember this or I remember being told about it: I  
think I was ill once. Everything hurt. I could hardly swallow  
anything, my throat hurt so badly. My eyes hurt even in firelight,  
and someone put something cool and soft over them." Iolaus closed his  
eyes, as if trying to see another time and place. "Someone, my mother  
I guess, held my hand. Although it seems I remember the hand holding  
mine was very big. I don't think I was more than 6 or 7."

"Sounds like a fever. A high fever." Jason concluded.

"Yeah, I think so." Iolaus agreed. "And what they did was very simple  
and very memorable. They put me in a bath of very warm, herb scented  
water, and then in a bath of freezing cold water, like barely melted  
snow, then back in the warm again, then under a pile of covers. They  
gave me something awful tasting to drink. But I honestly think that  
was only because my mother thought she was supposed to do that."

"Well, it must have worked. At least you look like you survived."  
Jason grinned.

"Yeah. I should send a messenger tonight, so that Niobe's healers can  
try this idea without waiting any longer." Iolaus agreed. "Then have  
you decided to go to Thrace with Demetra, tomorrow?" Jael asked,  
entering the room, with Iphicles in her wake.

"No, Jael, just the opposite. There's still a very real need for me  
to go to Attica and I'll probably be riding south at first light."

"Probably?" Iphicles asked. "That makes it sound like you haven't  
decided for certain, Iolaus."

"Iphicles, " Iolaus began, somewhat warily "look, I'm hoping we can  
keep this on a personal level. My reasons for going to Attica are  
just that, very personal ones. I'd just as soon not open them to  
discussion. We're all friends here, long time friends, and we have  
always supported one another at need. So what I'm asking is can you  
take my decision in those terms? Or will you still question my  
loyalty to Corinth?"

Iphicles studied the hunter's face so closely for a moment that Jason  
wondered if he was thinking of drawing it. Then the former king  
realized that his stepson had Alcmene's manner of focusing intently  
on whomever she spoke with. The difference was, Alcmene usually  
smiled while she did so, and Iphicles usually did not. The ruler of  
Corinth then looked to his spouse and to his stepfather, before  
answering.

"Your loyalty to Corinth will never be questioned, Iolaus. You have  
my word on that, as your friend, and as its king. If something  
compels you to go to Attica this strongly, I would be an unfair  
friend and an unjust king to keep you here; As if I could!"

Everyone laughed and the moment's tension faded. "Iolaus, what we  
wanted to know is; how can we help?" Jael asked, her golden brown  
eyes full of concern. "It is so frightening when a small child is  
ill. They can't play. They're too fretful to eat or sleep. They can't  
explain or understand what's wrong and usually, neither can their  
parents."

Iolaus flinched at the word 'parents' and then sighed deeply. He  
looked at Jason as if asking what he should say or do now. The older  
man gestured for him to go on his search for the young messenger.

The hunter nodded and turned back to the three royals.

"If you'll all excuse me, I need to send a messenger ahead of me to  
Attica. Do you keep messenger birds at the palace?" Iolaus asked.

"Yes, there's a mews for the hawks and a dovecote by the stables."  
Jason answered automatically, then smiled at himself. "Ooops, sorry,  
you'd think I still lived here. You know the place I'm talking about?"  
Iolaus nodded, hugged Jael quickly and left the room, The king and  
queen of Corinth each turned a puzzled gaze to Jason.


	7. Chapter 7

**Part Seven**

"So, how much of this have you two figured out on your own?" Jason  
asked his two young friends.

"Well, by the gods, Jason, we can both count to nine!" Iphicles  
replied sharply. "Not only that, but rumors were rampant that  
Orestes' marriage was arranged, hasty and ill advised to say the  
least. Jael, I'm sorry. Perhaps I'm prying into other people's  
business. But inheritance is a very serious matter. And we are  
talking about a child who stands to inherit an important kingdom."

"No, my love, we are talking about a child who may not live to meet  
her father. Whatever acknowledgment is made now or later, its the kin  
relationship that matters right now. Iolaus is our very dear  
friend. Do we want to cause him still more pain by causing trouble  
for his child? I don't, and you don't want to either, no matter how  
much you talk about protocols and rules and rights. I know you better  
than that, my heart." Jael hugged her spouse.

"Who fathered this little girl isn't important to the rest of the world right

now. Not really. It's only important to the woman who bore her and the man

who fathered her. If that man is Iolaus then he has a right to take this  
chance to see her, and, God willing, help her. If that man is Iolaus,  
then his daughter has the right to know him for who he is. Niobe,  
Iolaus and their daughter have the right to decide what the rest of  
the world will know. No one else."

"Next thing, she'll be saying is: What if Niobe was her, and I was  
either Iolaus, or Orestes." Iphicles told his stepfather, with a  
small grin on his features as he kept Jael in his arms. "Well, being  
as Orestes is almost three years dead, I'd rather be Iolaus, just  
now, thank you. But, being as I'm wed to the most beautiful queen and  
mother to be in all of Greece, not to mention one of the best royal  
advisors anyone ever had, I'd far rather be myself."

"Go on, flatterer!" Jael replied, kissing him and laughing  
softly. "Go on, please!"

"And one of the most modest women I've ever known, as well as shy,  
soft spoken, unpretentious, quiet,. . . . Did I mention beautiful?"

"Yes, love, but you forgot brilliant!" Jael teased him, winking at  
her father by law.

"Shame on you!" Jason laughed. "Your wife is a genius, the same  
as . . . mine. "Jael smiled sunnily at the former king of Corinth,  
and stood up, crossing the room to hug him and kiss him as she would  
her long dead father. Then she turned to both men and nodded.

"Well, what do you know? I am brilliant!" she exclaimed. "Now, if  
your majesties both will please excuse me; I have to go see a man  
about a dove." Jael kissed her husband warmly and hugged him close for  
a moment. Then she let him go, saying. "Hold that thought."

"Hold. . . Jael what?" Iphicles asked as she hurried out the  
door. "Jael, wait!" the king called, but his queen was already out  
the door and halfway down the hall. "Gods, that woman is fast!" he  
exclaimed to his stepfather. "I swear, I think she moves faster on  
foot now than she ever did in that contraption you're sitting on."

"Well of course, Iphicles." Jason laughed. "She doesn't have to  
calculate every angle and turn when she's walking. You should take a  
turn in this contraption, as you call it, and get some understanding.  
I'd be willing to bet Jael loves walking and running and dancing more  
now than she did as a girl."

"Oh you're right about that, Jason. Especially dancing. Gods help me,  
my queen loves dancing and ...other things." Iphicles  
grinned. "Some days I think she's going to wear me out." The king  
glanced at the table still strewn with the food Iolaus had somehow  
managed to leave behind and began to serve himself rather than call  
an attendant. One viewpoint he shared with his queen was a liking for  
privacy rather than courtliness when family and friends were  
together.

"Naw, I think she'll just wear you down, bit by bit." Jason  
contradicted him, smiling. "That's what Alcmene told me women like to  
do, anyway. Noticed any difference lately?"

A small loaf of bread sailed at the Argonaut's head in reply.


	8. Chapter 8

**Part Eight **  
Jael, queen of Corinth was running, breathless and she loved it.

She walked or ran every chance she got these days, and enjoyed it  
immensely. In another month or two, her court physicians, her  
midwives and her over protective husband would be campaigning for her  
to get off her feet and do next to nothing. She was sure of that. And  
she planned to resist their efforts as long as humanly possible.

I'm healthy, God be thanked. she considered. And I certainly know  
my own body well enough to read its danger signals. It's not like I  
haven't done this before. Why should I trust someone else's judgment  
over my own? For the sake of peace and quiet, so that my babes can  
enjoy some too? That's worth a lot, to be sure. For the sake of  
seeing Iphicles calm and happy, instead of worried sick? God of my  
people, you know how hard it is for me to deny him anything. So, a  
little compromise is called for here. I'll promise to behave myself  
and he'll promise not to have me 'lying in' for four or five months!

Jael rounded the corner by the mews, walking quickly and smiling at  
an inward image of herself and Iphicles, holding their newborns and  
each other elatedly, with Andreos peeking around his father's side.  
She didn't have to look any deeper to know she was seeing something  
that would be. "God of my people, I give you thanks and praise!" she  
whispered, just as she walked into a man pacing and gesticulating in  
a very familiar fashion.

"Iolaus, what are you doing?" Jael asked looking at the scraps of  
parchment and pieces of quill feather strewn all around.

"Trying to write a message for Niobe and her healers. Jael, what if  
they get this too late? What if that war in Thrace has already burned  
half the countryside to the ground while I stood here, wringing my  
hands? What if that little girl dies without what little help I could  
offer? What could I possibly say to Niobe then? Damn! Why isn't  
Hercules here!"

"What could you do if Hercules were here that you can't do without  
him?" Jael demanded. "Or would you simply be handing off half the  
problem to him to solve?"

Iolaus looked at the woman he'd known for a dozen years, clearly  
biting back a retort. "We're partners, Jael. You know that. We  
always work things out together, fight back to back, all that kind  
of thing."

"And partners means, . . . you can't get anything decided, much less  
done when your partner isn't around?"

"No!" the hunter shouted, "of course not. I've been making decisions  
on my own since I was, . . . old enough to realize no one else was  
going to do it for me! Sometimes those were the wrong decisions, and  
I took my lumps for them. Sometimes they were right, and I came out  
alright. But they didn't effect anyone but me, Jael."

"Yes, they did, Iolaus." Jael said, in a much quieter tone of  
voice. "You know they did. That's why you can't make this decision,  
now. That's why I came down here. You and I have to talk."

Iolaus looked her in the eye, and Jael had to bite her lip to keep  
from smiling. He looked like nothing so much as a small boy who  
wanted to run to escape a beating.  
"Jael, I haven't the time for this."

"Yes, you do." Jael stepped between the hunter and the doorway. "And  
we are going to talk, now. Sit down, Iolaus. That's not a suggestion."

"Yes, your majesty." Iolaus bowed mockingly. "Just as you say, your  
majesty." He sat on a hay bale after making a great show of covering  
one for the queen with a horse blanket.

"Iolaus, you've been spending a great deal of time and energy not  
talking to me about the chance that Timora might be your daughter.  
Why?"

"Jael, I can't talk to you about that!" he exclaimed, his features  
red with chagrin.

"Why not? Because we have a child? Because we have a child that you  
thought we lost because you made a bad decision?"

"Gods, woman when did you become so blunt?" Iolaus yelped.

"At my mother's breast, so I'm told." Jael laughed. "Life's too short  
not to be honest with the people you love."

"Jael, people that you love?" the hunter asked in a gentler  
tone. "What are you saying here?"

"Iolaus, I've loved you ever since I took that knife, thank you very  
much. We have a son. Our lives are bound. But we were apart for a  
long time and we've both moved on. It doesn't hurt me that you and  
Niobe may have a child. You probably have a dozen more that you don't  
know about!"

Iolaus laughed and nodded, then just as quickly shook his  
head. "Jael, how can you be so . . . open about this?" he asked.

"Because all I have to do is look at Michael to know how much we  
loved one another. I don't need any more, do you? Nor do I need to  
hide our son or our past from anyone. Do you?"

"No, and that is a difference. If Niobe's daughter is mine, I can't  
claim her. I won't. It would dishonor both of them, and Orestes."

"Well, send a message, send a healer, send a hundred healers, Iolaus.  
But none of that will determine who this little girl's father is. And  
since that is obviously what's driving you crazy, can you think of  
anything that would? Certainly it could only be either you or  
Orestes, right?"

"Absolutely. And . . . there may be a way. Let me think."

"Thinking is good." Jael grinned at her friend, glad to see him smile  
in return.

"Orestes' mother was my mother's youngest sister. She married twice,  
maybe three times, I think. He was her only son out of, I don't know  
how many children. But my mother used to say something else about her  
sister. What was it?" Iolaus stood up, sat down, then sprang up to  
start his pacing again.

"Iolaus, sit still, if that's possible." Jael insisted

"Well, I'd just as soon sit still over here, your gracious  
majesty." The hunter responded, scrunching his features as if  
something worried or bothered him suddenly.

"Why?" Jael frowned, wondering what new concern was crossing his  
mind. "Because that's obviously where someone led a bunch of goats  
through here and the smell is something awful! Jael that's it!  
Goats!" laughing with mysterious mirth, the hunter plucked the queen  
from her hay bale throne and danced her around the mews.

"Goats? Iolaus, can you at least try to make sense?"

"My mother hated the sight, the taste and especially the smell of  
goats, goats meat, goats cheese and most of all goats milk! Her  
youngest sister couldn't tolerate anything else when she was a baby.  
Her youngest sister, who became queen of Attica. The son she bore to  
the king of Attica couldn't tolerate anything but goats milk, either.  
It made him . . . really sick, even as a grown man.

Orestes told me so, himself. It's part of what shaped his entire life,

being sickly as a boy, not training in arms, not hunting or fighting. He

looked for other ways to solve problems, to find answers, to keep out of  
trouble. I'm thinking here, Jael, that if she's Orestes' daughter,  
Timora, can't tolerate cow's milk or any other excepting goats milk!  
She's probably been sickly since she was weaned for just that reason!  
Does that make sense to you, I mean, as someone who has  
already . . . .as a mother?"

"Absolute sense, my dear." Jael nodded, "Now get that message into  
the hands of my physician, wake the messenger and get them on the  
road. Your tiny cousin will be just fine in a few days."

"My . . .cousin." Iolaus echoed on a long, drawn out breath. "Yeah, I  
like the sound of that. Jael, thanks, thanks so much, for listening.  
And I'm sorry I . . ."

"You reacted when I pushed you as hard as I know how?" Jael  
asked. "That's what you needed to do, my dear. That's what I needed  
you to do, talk to me, not around me. Clear?"

"Very clear. Where is that scapegrace son of ours anyway?" Iolaus  
grinned.

"Iolaus, you know perfectly well. He's at the same academy you went  
to at his age, and just as lucky to be admitted. Of course, being the  
son of the queen of Corinth didn't hurt his chances, in that regard."

With the needed message written and the riders on the road south to  
Attica, Iolaus and Jael walked back to the warm welcome of the small  
hearth in Jason's quarters.


	9. Chapter 9

**Epilogue **

A warm burst of laughter greeted their entrance but it wasn't  
directed at them. Instead they found Andreos happily perched on the  
shoulders of his uncle Hercules, while Iphicles paid rapt attention  
to a story being told by a young woman with red blond hair and  
sparking green eyes. With all the royal dignity he could summon,  
Iphicles was ignoring the predatory attentions of a fluffy dark brown  
cat who first stood on its hind legs, then jumped into his lap.

Following that maneuver the golden eyed creature climbed onto his  
shoulder, kneading eagerly as a kitten, and then tried to lay with  
its underside quite deliberately exposed, on his arm. When this  
failed to win his full focus the dainty animal got the laugh Jael and  
Iolaus had heard by jumping onto Iphicles' head and trying to perch  
there. And just when it seemed the king of Corinth might not very  
graciously grab the feline intruder and send it across the room, Jael  
reached over and took it in her arms.

"This is Brighit, my very special cat." The queen told Iolaus with a  
soft smile. "Iphicles gave her to me when we were courting. Isn't she  
beautiful, Iolaus?"

"She's lovely, Jael. How did she get the name . . Brijet?" the hunter  
asked, trying to sound out the foreign sounding word.

"Oh, it was the name the cat breeder gave her." Jael answered. "She  
was from Gaul, I think, so it must be a Gaelic name."

Brighit, clearly knowing she was now the focus of attention, began  
to purr far more loudly than her delicate frame seemed to allow for.  
She turned her golden eyes, set with liquid black irises first on  
Jael, then on Iolaus, as if wondering why he didn't pet her too.  
Gently, so as not to startle or discomfit the queenly little creature  
in any way, Iolaus began to stroke her square shaped head and pointy  
chin. Finding herself properly appreciated, Brighit very purposely  
left Jael's embrace to climb into Iolaus' arms.

"Another conquest, Iolaus?" Jael laughed, as her long time friend  
rubbed Brighit's aristocratic nose. "Brighit doesn't cozy up to just  
anyone."

"Yes, and I only hope this little lady doesn't break my heart like  
all the rest." The hunter answered, grinning. "She is very special  
you know. That breeder may have been from Gaul, but little Brighit  
here is pure Somali, which means her lineage comes from the countries  
south of Egypt. She's really beautiful, Jael."

Jael looked at Iolaus and shook her head, smiling. "Iolaus, when are  
you going to. . Never mind, you aren't ever going to change. You just  
made all that up, didn't you?"

Iolaus looked at her wide eyed and visibly began to protest. Then he  
grinned. "Yep. Did ya like it?"

"It was lovely, dear. And I'm sure Brighit appreciates the kind words  
about her pedigree, real or imagined." Jael hugged Iolaus and turned  
to see what her other guests were up to. In the other corner, Demetra  
was cheerfully arm wrestling with an even taller woman warrior, dark  
haired with bright blue eyes. They seemed pretty evenly matched.  
Joxer was sitting closest to the fire, filling his eyes with the  
sight of two beautiful women warriors and his mouth with stew. That  
left Jason to take note of the latecomers. He motioned to Hercules,  
who carried Andreos over to be hugged by his stepmother.

"Well, it seems you two were gone just long enough." The demigod  
laughed.

"How so?" Jael asked, hugging her brother by law and then arranging  
herself and Brighit comfortably on her husband's lap.

"Well, we just got in from Thrace, where the problems seemed to just  
evaporate when the three of us all showed up there at the same time.  
It turns out Ares' troublemaking was what Hades wanted to talk with  
me about. But I still have a question to ask, one that no one in here  
seemed to know the answer to."

"And that would be?" Iolaus grinned widely at his friend, clasping  
his arm in greeting.

"Well, Jason did his roof climbing stunt before I left, so I wasn't  
surprised to see him here, borrowing the use of your wheeled chair,  
Jael. And my brother couldn't keep from telling me I'm to be an  
uncle, again. I'm glad to hear it, very glad. But other than that,  
has anything else interesting happened while I was gone?"

Iolaus laughed out loud and shook his head 'no'. "No, Herc." He  
finally managed to say, gasping with laughter. "No, nothing happened  
at all. I'm very, very glad to say.

"Finis

Bard's note: Before anyone asks, this fic was written about a year  
before the appearance of Iolaus' twin/Jiolaus.


End file.
